Draft-gear carrier and center-sill antispreader



April 16, 1929. M. s. JOHNSON 1,709,073

I bRAFT GEAR CARRIER AND CENTER SILL ANTISPREADER:

Filed Dec. 24, .1927

15 11 inn Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE.

MaLcoLM s. sonnson, or orrreaso, rumors, ns-srenon T 1:. ranson SMITH, or

CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS:

DRAFT-GEAR GARBIER AND CENTER-SILL ANTISI'REAIIERL Application filed December 24, 1927. Serial No. 242,315.

My invention relates to means for supporting or carrying the drait gear mechanism of railroad cars; that is to say, means whereby the draft rigging is supported in place intermediate of the parallel beams or spaced members constituting the center 8111 or drait sill of a railroad car; said means at the same time being of a nature which will prevent the spreading apart of the memhers constituting the center sill.

The invention has for its object the provision of means of the characterdescribed which consists of an integral element or single piece member so formed as to auto matically lock itself in place on the center sill when put into operative or proper posltion and the load or weight of the draft rigging transferred directly to the center sill elements, thereby relieving the usual retaining bolts and nuts of the severe strains and vibrations encountered in operation.

The objects and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent from the description of the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a bottomplan view of portions of the center sill with my improved combined carrier and anti-spreader applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of portions oil the center sill and partly broken away, showing my improved (carrier element in place.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one end of the carrier element applied to the lower flange of one of the center sill members which is shown in section.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4% of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the center sill and top plan view otmy improved carrier'plate in its unlocked or released position.

My invention contemplates a single piece element or plate 10, either a forging or easting, which, in its preferred form is of rhomboid shape, namely a parallelogram whose ends are arranged parallel with each other but at a sloping inclination relative to the longitudinal sides of the plate so that when the plate is arranged at right angles to the center sill, portions of the ends of the plate ad acent to opposite longitudinal sides, namely at diagonally opposite points, will be disposed beyond the lower flanges ll, 11 of the center sill members 12, 12.

These extended corners or end portions 13, Rare bent upwardly and inwardly to provide the triangular hook portions 14; adapted to lit over and engage the lower flanges 11 of the center sill members 12 when the plate is moved out of a right arm gular position relative to the center sill, namely into the position shown in Figure l. V The overlapping portions let taper toward the opposite longitudinal side of the plate or carrier element and terminate short of said opposite side, as shown in Figures 3 and 5; That is to say, the overlapping per tions 14 are each of greatest width adjacent one of the longitudinal sides of the plate and taper off toward the upstanding port-ion 15 of the plate at a point slightly removed from the opposite longitudinal side of the plate. As shown in the drawing, an overlapping portion 14 is arranged adjacent to each longitudinal side of the plate but at a diagonally opposite corner of the plate.

It is apparent trom Figure 5 that the dis tance between the inner edges of the two lips or overlapping portions 14 at opposite ends of the plate, as well as the distance between the unbent diagonally opposite corners of the plate, is greater than the distance between the outer edges of the lower flanges 11 of the tWO Parallel center sill members 12 so that when the plate 10 is placed beneath the center sill members and at right angles thereto as shown in Figure 5, the overlap.- ping portions 14 will be disposed beyond the longitudinal edges of the flanges 11 and therefore out of lapping engagement therewith. This permits the plate to be placed up flush against the bottom of the center sill beams. Upon rotating or moving the plate 10, say in clockwise direction from its position shown in Figure 5, the overlapping portions 14 will come into lapping engagement with .the flanges 11 in the manner disclosed in the previous figures. The over- 5 lapping portions 14 are preferably made with a slight upper incline so as to somewhat conform with the sloping faces of the flanges 11 of the center sill members 12 and thus permit a firm gripping relation to be made as shown in Figures 2 and 4; and the plate and more particularly at the ends may be provided with rigidifying surfaces or ribs as shown at 16, with certain of the ribs disposed transversely of the overlapping portions 14:. In standard practice, the flanges of the center sill members are each usually provided with three bolt holes as shown at 17 in Figure 5; only two of which are made use of, as the'plate at each end and preferably'nearer to the unbent portions of the ends is provided with a pair of bolt-holes to receive'thebolts 18 whereby the plate is held in its flange engaging position; one of the bolt-receiving holes at each end of the plate being preferably arranged in proximity to the upstanding portion or shoulder 15, so that the head of the bolt when in place will extend flush or in parallel abutting relation and thus prevent rotation of these bolts, see Figure 3.

As is apparent from the construction shown, my improved carrier forms interlocking relation with the center sill members or beams, which not onlyties the center sill members together and prevents their spreading, but which transfers the weight and all strains directly to the center sill members instead of through the bolts. The bolts are therefore relieved of the shearing and tension strains to which they were subject in constructions as heretofore employed, as the boltslS are merely employed as means for locking the plate against movement about a vertical axis.

' It is also obvious, that in the event the nuts should become loose and lost, the plate will still be held in locked position as long asa bolt remains in place at each end of the plate; dropping of the plate being impos sible as long as the hook forming portions 14, 14 overlap the lower flanges 11 of the center sill members.

I have illustrated what is believed to be the simplest embodiment of the invention comprising a plate having flange engaging portions at opposite ends adapted to interlock with the flanges when the plate is moved about a vertical axis'or vertical center of the center sill, but modifications are possible and [may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

' What I claim is:

'1. A draft, gear carrier and center sill anti-spreader comprising a plate, two diagonally opposite corners whereof are provid ed with hook forming portions disposed inwardly above the plate.

2. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising a. plate provided at two diagonally opposite corners with hook forming portions.

3. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising a plate provided at two diagonally opposite corners with hook forming portions decreasing in depth toward and terminating short of the opposite longitudinal side of the plate.

4;. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising an elongated plate provided at two diagonally opposite corners with hook portions, the free ends whereof are disposed in planes substantially at right angles to the longitudinal sides of the plate.

5. A draft gear carrier and center sill anti-spreader comprising an elongated plate having two diagonally opposite corners extending beyond the plane of the other corners, said extended corner portions being bent back into hook form, with the outer ends of the hook portions terminating substantially in the vertical plane of the nonbent corners of the plate.

6. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising a plate of rhomhoid shape, with the two extended corner portions bent back upon the plate into hook form terminating in planes substantially at right angles to the longitudinal sides of the plate.

7. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising a plate of rhoinboid shape whose two diagonally opposite extended corner portions are bent upwardly and inwardly int-o hook-form, the plate at its ends having bolt-receiving apertures.

8. In combination with the flanged members of a center sill, an elongated plate provided at two diagonally opposite corners with flange overlapping portions when said plate is arranged diagonally of the center sill, and means for locking the plate in its adjusted position. i

9. A draft gear carrier and center sill antispreader comprising an elongated plate provided at diagonally opposite corners with hook portions adapted to interlock with the flanges of the center sill when said plate is disposed diagonally of the center sill, the plate and hook )ortions being provided with rigidifying surfaces, and means whereby the plate is locked in its diagonal position.

10. A draft gear carrier and center sill anti-spreader comprising an elongated plate provided at opposite ends with center-sill flange engaging portions tapering toward the longitudinal sides of the plate adapted to interlock with said flanges when said plate is moved about a vertical axis.

11. A draft gear carrier and center-sill anti-spreader comprising a plate adapted to fit against the bottom flanges of the center- Ill) sill, the opposite ends of the plate having anti-spreader comprising an elongated plate upwardly disposed flange engaging portions provided at diagonally opposite corners with adapted to interlock with the flanges when hook portions adapted to interlock with the 1 said plate is moved about a vertical axis, and flanges of the center sill when brought into means for locking the plate in its adjusted engagement with the sill flanges by pivotal position. movement.

12. A draft gear carrier and center sill MALCOLM S. JOHNSON. 

